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Camino Primitivo (first timer Oct 2018) - So many questions!

SarahM

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Primitivo (Oct 2018)
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah
 
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1. Vueling fly direct from Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Asturias airport, about twenty-five miles from Oviedo. The flight takes a little under two hours; if you departed on October 8, they're currently quoting EUR 55 (about USD 65) one way.

2. The standard rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight, your backpack included. I carry just a smidge more than that, being thin but tall and wiry. I weigh 67 kg (about 148 lb) and carry an 8 kg pack.

3. I did the Primitivo this May in eleven days, without killing myself. Seventeen is ample, and should afford you the opportunity for several rest-days and/or side trips en route.

4. If you're staying in albergues, you'll struggle to spend more than EUR 25 per day for everything, food included. Double that if you want private rented accommodation. There are sufficient ATMs on the way, though taking out EUR 300 as soon as you arrive in Europe and having that in your back pocket is a sensible thing.

5. Not in October. Yo're at no risk of losing the bed race then.

6. Prescription drugs (difficult to get a U.S. prescription filled in Europe, and some kinds of drugs may not be available), and a spare pair of glasses/contact lenses if you use them. I'm a man, so this information comes at second hand, but if you use sports bras, bringing one more than you need mightn't be a bad idea. They're apt to disappear from washing lines in albergues (it's not theft so much as others mistaking yours for theirs in the dark). It happened to my wife in Zariquiegui, on the third day of her only Camino; on that trip we must have heard the same story from half a dozen other peregrinas. Until you hit Lugo, getting a replacement might be difficult.

Don't worry about anything else. Whatever you may need and have forgotten to bring with you can easily be purchased in Spain, probably for much the same price.

Finally: get your credencial stamped at the Cathedral in Oviedo; swallow your last cafe con leche of the morning; and point yourself in the direction of Grado, 26 km away, which would make a logical first-day stopping point. No more formalities required than that.
 
Last edited:
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah


1 dont know but plenty of flights
2 the ligher the better 6kg
3 10 to 12 days and plenty of time for Finnesterra and Muxia
4 camino cash king. A few hundred Euros plenty of ATM almost daily
5 no need for reservations except Santiago
6 Usual trekking gear. Shops in every village towns and refer to 1 travel light
Buen camino
 
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah
See you there. From San Antonio on my fourth caminio, I'll be starting from Oviedo on Sept 29th.
 
I will be starting from Oviedo on Oct 9th on my first camino. I leave LAX (Los Angeles) Oct 7th, and get into Madrid on the afternoon of the 8th, then take a train up to Oviedo arriving very late that night. I'm staying at a hotel right next to the train station that night. The plan is to get up the next morning and head to Grado. Hope to see you on the route.
 
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I will be starting from Oviedo on Oct 9th on my first camino. I leave LAX (Los Angeles) Oct 7th, and get into Madrid on the afternoon of the 8th, then take a train up to Oviedo arriving very late that night. I'm staying at a hotel right next to the train station that night. The plan is to get up the next morning and head to Grado. Hope to see you on the route.

I’ll be just a few days ahead, walking from Oviedo on either the 4th or 5th.. Buen Camino
 
Maybe we might be able to meet, but you might be a bit too far ahead. Buen Camino for you too!
 
We did it in 14 days and wish we’d taken 17. I’d recommend stopping in Escamplero on day one so you start easy. No need to rush and do 20+ miles every day when you have so much time.
 
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We did it in 14 days and wish we’d taken 17. I’d recommend stopping in Escamplero on day one so you start easy. No need to rush and do 20+ miles every day when you have so much time.

+1 for Escamplero. It also allows you to do the detour to see the Naranco churches on the first day which are well worth it, making for about 17km overall. Then another 17km-ish day on Day 2 gets you to San Juan de Villapañada, which would line you up well to start doing longer days to Bodenaya (day three, the best albergue on the Primitivo) and Campiello (day four, just before the memorable Hospitales day).

¡Buen camino!
 
Thanks to both Alaskadiver & Nick........something to seriously consider; slowing down at the beginning. The day before I start, I'll have flown for 11 hours and taken a train for 5 hours. On top of that, I won't get into Oviedo until almost midnight.
 
Thanks to both Alaskadiver & Nick........something to seriously consider; slowing down at the beginning. The day before I start, I'll have flown for 11 hours and taken a train for 5 hours. On top of that, I won't get into Oviedo until almost midnight.
Yeup. We traveled from Alaska and it took us 2 days to get to Oviedo. We really benefited from sleeping in and getting a slow short day 1. I wouldn’t do more than 20 km days. It’s too beautiful to rush and with 17 days you don’t need long days. Buen Camino!
 
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The day before I start, I'll have flown for 11 hours and taken a train for 5 hours. On top of that, I won't get into Oviedo until almost midnight.

In that case, I'd stay another night in Oviedo to recover before you start walking. It's a nice town with some interesting churches (and a lot of cider bars!), so you can easily spend a day there. It took us 13 walking days from Oviedo to Santiago even with the lighter first two days, so with your 17 days, you'd still have plenty of time.
 
Thank you to both Alaskadiver & Nick again. I really appreciate your sage advice. I think you have convinced me to be fair to myself in not jumping in right away when I might be on low energy. I do have the time, as I am not flying back from Madrid until Oct 28th. The one thing I wanted to do was to give myself enough time to take in a milonga, (a tango dance event) in Madrid before I leave Spain. My only issue is the tango shoes.......I'm not going to carry a pair around on the camino, so I'll probably buy a pair in Madrid.
 
Thank you to both Alaskadiver & Nick again. I really appreciate your sage advice. I think you have convinced me to be fair to myself in not jumping in right away when I might be on low energy. I do have the time, as I am not flying back from Madrid until Oct 28th. The one thing I wanted to do was to give myself enough time to take in a milonga, (a tango dance event) in Madrid before I leave Spain. My only issue is the tango shoes.......I'm not going to carry a pair around on the camino, so I'll probably buy a pair in Madrid.
If you already have the shoes you can mail them to Santiago to have them waiting for you.
 
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If you already have the shoes you can mail them to Santiago to have them waiting for you.

That's a good idea, thank you! With that thought, I might even try having them sent to the hotel in Madrid that I'll be in the night or two before I leave. That sure beats trying to dance in a new pair of shoes.
 
Hello to all starting at Oviedo in October...I had hoped to walk this route the following month Nov., but was advised not to.. As I’ve no experience to go by I was hoping you could all maybe give me an idea once you start is it that difficult for a first timer. I believe the gradient is difficult and being winter will add to that but also the possibility that there wouldn’t be many albergues open in November. Could you maybe, please ask at your ‘port of call’ along the way will they be open the following month please. I would be keen to hear what this Camino like in terms of difficulty. I am thinking of taking an alternate route otherwise but would prefer to stick to my original plan.
 
is it that difficult for a first timer. .

Little Flower,
It is always so subjective for any experienced Pilgrims here to give advice regarding how difficult it may be for You unless they have some relevant back ground information about You to work with.

Here are a few ideas but I'm sure there is more that you should elaborate on to get some useful feedback.

Age?
Weight?
Physical limitations and/or ailments?
fitness level - what is your normal weekly exercise routine? are you in shape now to start?
Gear - do you have it, have you used it?
hiking experience - what, when, where, time of year, distances, elevations, back pack weight etc...?
hiking alone or with partner?
Language...speak Spanish?

others can add to the info that would be good for us to know to help you best.

Have a great camino, it is a wonderful experience but please be prepared for it since you are a "1st timer" and traveling in a month where it's possible to have some extreme weather.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Thank you to both Alaskadiver & Nick again. I really appreciate your sage advice. I think you have convinced me to be fair to myself in not jumping in right away when I might be on low energy. I do have the time, as I am not flying back from Madrid until Oct 28th. The one thing I wanted to do was to give myself enough time to take in a milonga, (a tango dance event) in Madrid before I leave Spain. My only issue is the tango shoes.......I'm not going to carry a pair around on the camino, so I'll probably buy a pair in Madrid.

Unless you have very wide feet, you will find that shoes in Spain are the best quality for money you will find outside Italy.
 
For medication, most are available in Spain and sometimes without prescription. In my experience, I just handed them my pill bottles with the label and they were filled without trouble but it can't hurt to scan your prescriptions and save them as attachments to a draft email-- they can then be printed without trouble. Most pharmaceutical companies are international and Spain is not a third world country.

I would say that, staying in albergues, your daily costs will be about 30-35 euro, and in private accommodation double that (20 food and 40 room). ATMs are everywhere; it can't hurt to let your credit card company, your bank, and credit union know you will be in Spain, just so that your card is not cancelled by some algorithm.

Some stretches are tough-- do pace yourself and don't push yourself. But it is an extraordinary route and the Asturians are generous and warm (if taciturn) hosts. You won't forget it.
 
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
lucky you!
Some speedy answers to your questions.
1. Sorry I've no recommendations on the Paris connection.
2. I carry 4/5kg. You can drop unnecessary items on first few night
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Lucky you, its an amazing walk with almost continuous climbs and descents. I did it end April/May this year.
1. No recommendations for the Paris travel bit.
2. I carry 4/5kg including water, guide book etc. Leave excess at first few nights accommodations, post home or review what you are packing.
3. I did it in less than 14 as far as I remember. Oviedo and Lugo are well worth taking a day off to see.
4. 200 euro is probably enough cash. There are ATMs not frequently but enough to get by.
5. October, probably no need to to reserve. I only reserved after Lugo when the way joined the camino Frances.
6. Can't advise on what would be essential for you, probably rain gear. Gronze app is great instead of carrying a paper guide. Great for maps, accommodation etc.
After that show up as you say and off you go!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Love the Primitivo! I am a fellow Coloradan, and I will be walking it for the second time, starting about Oct 1. We are doing the San Salvador from Leon first, the 5 days prior. If you want to see a great blog, take a look at mine - Ha ha - when I did the Primitivo: Camino Primitivo. We did it in 13 days, with one rest day in Lugo - a fabulous city. We also walked to the Naranco sites first, then to Esclampero on the same day, but you could take two days. Also, Olviedo is a great place to get over your jet lag. Happy reading, and maybe we will see one another. Who knows?
 
1. Vueling fly direct from Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Asturias airport, about twenty-five miles from Oviedo. The flight takes a little under two hours; if you departed on October 8, they're currently quoting EUR 55 (about USD 65) one way.

2. The standard rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight, your backpack included. I carry just a smidge more than that, being thin but tall and wiry. I weigh 67 kg (about 148 lb) and carry an 8 kg pack.

3. I did the Primitivo this May in eleven days, without killing myself. Seventeen is ample, and should afford you the opportunity for several rest-days and/or side trips en route.

4. If you're staying in albergues, you'll struggle to spend more than EUR 25 per day for everything, food included. Double that if you want private rented accommodation. There are sufficient ATMs on the way, though taking out EUR 300 as soon as you arrive in Europe and having that in your back pocket is a sensible thing.

5. Not in October. Yo're at no risk of losing the bed race then.

6. Prescription drugs (difficult to get a U.S. prescription filled in Europe, and some kinds of drugs may not be available), and a spare pair of glasses/contact lenses if you use them. I'm a man, so this information comes at second hand, but if you use sports bras, bringing one more than you need mightn't be a bad idea. They're apt to disappear from washing lines in albergues (it's not theft so much as others mistaking yours for theirs in the dark). It happened to my wife in Zariquiegui, on the third day of her only Camino; on that trip we must have heard the same story from half a dozen other peregrinas. Until you hit Lugo, getting a replacement might be difficult.

Don't worry about anything else. Whatever you may need and have forgotten to bring with you can easily be purchased in Spain, probably for much the same price.

Finally: get your credencial stamped at the Cathedral in Oviedo; swallow your last cafe con leche of the morning; and point yourself in the direction of Grado, 26 km away, which would make a logical first-day stopping point. No more formalities required than that.
Just show up and start walking.
 
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I am starting from Oviedo the 4th of October. Maybe I’ll see some of you along the way?
 
Hello Pilgrims, I will be traveling from U.S. (Colorado) and flying into Paris, Oct 5, there until Oct 24. I will be walking the Camino Primitivo and have a ton of questions. Appreciate any and all insight!
1) Suggestions for easy travel form Paris to Oveido?
2) Recommendations for max weight to carry?
3) it's 311 km from Oveido to Santiago.. Is it reasonable to do this in 17 days?
4) Money - how much money do you recommend per day, and is it best to just carry all cash? (are there ATM's at some places along the way)
5) Reservations required for lodging?
6) Essential items to bring?
Finally... does one just show up and start walking? Anything else I need to know?
Sarah

We may see you along the way... will be walking out of Oviedo on the 5th... yes, just show up and start walking Buen.... Camino...
 
In oviedo 30th start camino 1st october flying from velencia birthday party first .
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
All of the above is more than enough info, but my one bit - use the pilgrim credential to get the discount at the cathedral, get the English translator device and walk through the cathedral. Also go to the pilgrim blessing that night, the priest will ask if any peregrinos are in attendance at the very end. I am towards the end of the Primitivo right now, having walked the Norte from Irun, and taken the Primitivo cut off through the mountains. Bring rain gear, although my Camino has been rain free, lucky me! And one last bit - if you don’t speak Spanish then download the Google translate app and make sure you download it for offline translations. Buen Camino.
 
Hi
I walked the primitivo in May/June this year. The responses you've received already give a really comprehensive set of responses.
If you get the chance, stay at the albergue in Bodenaya - you can't miss it - it's the first building you come to as you walk into the village.
I promise you that this is a special, special place and David y Celia will give you the warmest welcome possible.
I'll be doing the camino again next year and will make a point of stopping here again.
Go well
 
Thanks for all your responses and sage advice. I leave one week from tomorrow! Soooo excited!
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
I'll be arriving in Oviedo on the 2nd of October and setting out on either the 3rd or 4th. Gonna take it easy, so maybe I'll see you out there. If not, buen camino!

Daniel
 
So I'll be arriving in Paris on the 6th, flying to Barcelona, then finally arriving in Oviedo early on the 7th. Going to stay and rest for a day and start walking on the 8th. Very excited to start walking and in need of the headspace. :)

Sarah
 
Hello Sarah........I'll be a day behind you starting from Oviedo on the 9th on my first camino too. Hope to see you along the way. Bien Camino!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Everyone seems to be leaving early October but has anyone out there walked the Primitivo starting late October? I am questioning the potential weather conditions therefore my question although I realize that one never knows, especially in the mountains.

A window of about 3 weeks has opened up for me starting October 23rd but I seem to be wavering due to the time of year. My plan would be to do it in about 11 days (just because I like walking longer stages).

Any thoughts from veterans out there?

Buen Camino to all those who have started out or are starting soon!
 
please do let me know how it goes as I am planning on completing the Primitivo again next year, but this time in last October
 
One more suggestion for walking the camino in October: bring a flashlight. I've just completed the Portuguese Way (on October 6), and was glad that I had a flashlight when I started walking at 7 AM every day typically. In Portugal, it wasn't such an issue due to the time difference, but darkness came suddenly an hour earlier when I crossed over into Spain at Tui.....It doesn't need to be a heavy one, just a pencil-sized light will do.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Everyone seems to be leaving early October but has anyone out there walked the Primitivo starting late October? I am questioning the potential weather conditions therefore my question although I realize that one never knows, especially in the mountains.

Hey,
I start on October 24th in the afternoon. At the moment the weather seems to be very warm and dry.
Maybe we won't meet softened mud.
Buen Camino
 
Hello to all you lovely people who have hiked in October in the past. I know the weather is unreliable. But did you have rain most days? Did you need your sleeping bag afterall? Did you find the private albergues much warmer than the municipal albergues? ....Am I just better off going to Malaga for warm day hikes instead ;-)
Many thanks,
S
 
Hello to all you lovely people who have hiked in October in the past. I know the weather is unreliable. But did you have rain most days? Did you need your sleeping bag afterall? Did you find the private albergues much warmer than the municipal albergues? ....Am I just better off going to Malaga for warm day hikes instead ;-)
Many thanks,
S
I did the Norte and part of the Frances in October and the weather was fabulous. It didn't rain until I arrived in Santiage Oct 11 and it was a drizzle. I think September and October are the best months for doing the Camino and will do a Camino a again those months. Buen Camino
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I did the Norte and part of the Frances in October and the weather was fabulous. It didn't rain until I arrived in Santiage Oct 11 and it was a drizzle. I think September and October are the best months for doing the Camino and will do a Camino a again those months. Buen Camino
Thanks Dinah for reply. I've done 2 caminos, 1 in rain & 1 in sunshine. Coming from rainy Ireland I couldn't face into another rainy one...I'm waiting until next June (at least if it's raining I know I'll get some sunshine in the coming months). Very lucky to have this flexibility. I'll head to warmer climates in Oct instead to stretch out the summer. Thanks again
 
Thanks Dinah for reply. I've done 2 caminos, 1 in rain & 1 in sunshine. Coming from rainy Ireland I couldn't face into another rainy one...I'm waiting until next June (at least if it's raining I know I'll get some sunshine in the coming months). Very lucky to have this flexibility. I'll head to warmer climates in Oct instead to stretch out the summer. Thanks again
If you care coming from a rainy place, then planning for warmer weather makes sense. I love Sept and Oct but had major back surgery 3 weeks ago and had to cancel my fall Camino. I hesitate to go in the summer as the Caminos get crowded so I am aiming for April and May next year with Primitivo, San Salvador or more of Norte on my list. Enjoy your Camino whatever you choose.
 

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